A bill for an Act to Repeal the National Emergency Management Agency Act and enact the National Emergency Management Agency Bill and for Related Matters scaled second reading in the House of Representatives plenary on Thursday.
The bill, sponsored by Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu (APC-Abia), seeks to address critical issues such as climate change adaptation, drought, desertification, flooding, coastal erosion, dam failure, building collapse, oil spills, road accidents, fire, air crashes and boat mishaps, amongst others.
Leading the debate on its general principles, one of the co-sponsors of the bill, Rep. Amobi Ogah (LP-Abia), said that Nigeria stood at a crossroads of complex emergency and disaster management landscape.
He said that the country had the pressing need of shaping sustainable solutions for millions displaced by conflicts, flooding, environmental challenges, dam failures and building collapse, amongst others.
The lawmaker said that the emergency response was burdened with huge operational constraints, gaps occasioned by bureaucracy, inadequate funding, scarcity of technical skills, difficulty in operation mechanism and poor implementation of policies and legislations.
Ogah said that while the NEMA Act provided a solid foundation for disaster management, it lacked provisions for addressing critical issues such as climate change adaptation, amongst others.
He said that the bill sought to establish a framework that would address critical issues, including the imposed negative physical, emotional, social, health and economic impacts on the victims.
The rep said it would also establish a self-sustaining alternative funding mechanism beyond the funding mechanism under the extant act.
According to him, when the bill becomes law, NEMA will be repositioned to ensure climate adaptation and resilience in today’s world of complex disaster management.
“The National Emergency Management Agency (Establishment) Act of 1999 elaborately provided for the establishment, functions and governance structure of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), making it the central body for disaster management in Nigeria, with state agencies supporting its mandate at the state level.
“While the act provides a solid foundation for disaster management, it lacks provisions for addressing critical issues, such as climate change adaptation and resilience, digital transformation initiatives, drought, desertification, flooding, coastal erosion, dam failure, building collapse, oil spills, road accidents and bomb explosions.
“NEMA will be repositioned through this bill to ensure climate adaptation and resilience in today’s world of complex disaster management.
“This reform will also ensure that NEMA’s disaster risk reduction strategy is aligned with international best practices.
“This will also transform NEMA into a stronger coordination authority. It will provide for the establishment of a disaster management institute for training of NEMA staff and other stakeholders.
“It will also provide for the registration and coordination of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) on disaster management and support, amongst others,” he said.
Ogah said that the bill would present a practical step toward transforming the nation’s emergency and disaster management response framework.
He said that the emergency and disaster response mechanism contemplated by the bill was an important legislative response which met the demands of Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
He stated that it was enshrined in the section that the primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of the citizen, saying that Nigerians deserved to be protected and assisted at times of emergencies and disasters.
